Sign.



.F. O. LADWIG.

SIGN.

, ,7 APPLICATION man FEB. 10. m2. 22,360, Patented Apr, 9, 1918.

- s SHEETS-SHEET 3 x Q 8% w, 89 a M 4 f L F. 0. LADW IG.

SIGN.

, v APPLICATION FILED FEB 10,19l7 1,262,360.

Patented. Apr. 9,1918. 6 5HEETS-SHEET 4- Ewe fir sum.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, I917- 1,2?62,36@, Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

F. 0. LADWIG.

I SIGN. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1917.

132,360. Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET FRANK O. LADWIG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO HERBERT K. IBLYTI-IE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND ONE-THIRD T0 JACOB WEED, 0F I-IARTLAND,

WIS C ONSIN.

SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918..

Application filed. February 10, 1917. Serial No. 147,740.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK O. LAnwre, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in signs and more particularly to a sign which is automatically changed at predetermined intervals, so that a variety of cards may be displayed in cyclic procession.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a motor operated changeable sign in which a card is displayed for a predetermined length of time and is then automatically changed for another card which is displayed for a similar length of time and is then again exchanged for still another card. The machine may be arranged to display any convenient number of cards in cyclic procession automatically exposing each card to view for a certain length of time and then quickly shifting another card into position.

Another object of my invention is the provision of such a sign with electrical illumination which is automatically switched off while the sign cards are being changed.

A further object is the provision of such a sign in which the cards may be easily and quickly replaced in their frames by other cards.

Still other objects are the provision of a sturdy and rugged sign, not liable to get out of order, inexpensive to manufacture, efficient in operation and distinctive in its method of display.

Still other and further objects will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description and drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved sign illustrating its external appearance.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the sign with its operating mechanism exposed, the front face of the casing having been removed.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic illustration of the wiring circuits of the machine.

In the drawings I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention comprising in general a casing within which is mounted a rotatable frame carrying a plurality of display cards arranged for progressive presentation at a window in the casing, the sign being illuminated by electric lamps placed within the rotating frame and power for moving the frame being supplied by an electric motor through a transmission which quickly shifts the frame from one to another display position permitting a period of time to elapse between each shift to allow for reading of the display cards. As a further improvement I have provided a power actuated switch by means of which the illuminating lamps are extinguished during the time required for shifting from one card to another.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated a complete mechanism for full disclosure of the invention, the casing comprises a bottom section 20 to the rear upper edge of which a cover section 21 is hinged, as at 22. Both bottom and cover are open at their front face over which is positioned a front board 23 hinged at its lower edge 24, and carrying at its central portion a glass window or panel 25 through which the sign is displayed.

The rotatable card carrying frame indicated in general by the numeral 29 is mounted upon a stationary shaft 26 extending longitudinally of the box and slotted at its ends 27 for engagement with the sup porting brackets 28 carried by the lower half of the casing.

In the present instance I have arranged the-card display frame 29 for the presentation of four different cards and therefor of square cross section. At each end portion of the shaft 26 I have mounted on annular bearings 30 the cross-shaped frames orheads 31 connected at their corners by the parallel angle pieces 32 forming a suitable frame work for carrying the display cards. The display cards 33, 34, 35, 36 are mounted with their edges against the angles 32 and clamped in position by the outer movable angles 37 which are adjusted or fixed in position by a means which I will later describe.

Mounted adjacent one end of the frame and rotatable on the annular bearing 38 is a worm wheel 39 continuously driven by the worm 40 carried on shaft 41, of the electric motor 42. Pivoted as at 43 on the outer face of the worm wheel 39 is a lever 44 carrying at its inner end a reciprocable pin 44 which projects, when in its inner position, from the inner face of the worm wheel 39 into engagement with one of the four drive holes 45 formed in the head 31 of the sign carrying frame adjacent the worm wheel. The outer end 46 of the lever 44 bears against a stationary cam 47 secured as at 48 to the lower half of the. casing or box. This cam as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 is annular in form and extends wheel 39 so as to disengage the pin 44 from the driving hole 45 except when it passes through the small arc of approximately 90 degrees through which the cam face is open. It is thus: evident that the worm wheel in rotating continuously will carry with it the lever 44 with its pin, which we may term the driving clutch, the cam holding it out from engagement with the rotatable sign until it reaches the position indicated in dotted lines, as at 44 in Fig. 4. The spring 49 will then push the plunger 44' into engagement with one of the holes 45 in the sign frame and the further rotation of the worm wheel will carry the sign frame with it until the lever reaches the position indicated in dotted lines by 44 in Fig. 4 when the cam will again throw the end 46 of the lever inwardly toward the worm wheel drawing the pin 44 out from engagement with the sign carrying frame. Thus through one quarter of a revolution of the worm wheel the sign carrying frame is also rotated through one-quarter revolution. During the remaining three-quarters of the revolution of the worm wheel the sign is idle.

In order to properly hold the sign carrying frame stationary during its intervals of display and to insure proper positioning of the holes or driving recesses 45 in position for engagement by the pin 44 I have provided pins 50, 51 positioned in pairs at opposite ends of the frame and arranged for simultaneous engagement with the perforations 52 in the frame heads 31. The pins 50, 51 are reciprocable in the stationary guides or carriers, 53 54, and are simultaneously actuated by means of a cam arm 55 pivoted as at 56. Near the upper end of the cam arm 55 I have provided a roller 51 positioned for engagement with a cam 58 carried on the outer face ofthe worm wheel 39. The cam wheel 58 as illustrated in Fig. 6 has its active face spaced an equal distance from its axis through somewhat more than three-quarters of its circumference. Through the remaining angleiof approximately 90 degrees the radius of the cam abruptly decreases as at 59., a sharp break being provided at 60. so that as the cam revolves in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4 the cam wheel 57 when it reaches the break 60 is drawn radiallyfinwardly by means of a spring 61. until it engages with the inbent portion 59 which gradually raises it until it is finally given a rapid outward motion to the position indicated in Fig. 4. The cam wheel 58 is so positioned withrespect to the clutch 44 as to actuate the locking pins 50., 51 causing their engagement with the sign as soon as the clutch is disengaged and quickly moving them out from engagement with the sign frame when the clutch is moved into engaging position for rotation of the sign through a quarter revolution.

The pairs of locking pins 50, 51 are connected by links 62, 63 with arms 64, 65, secured on the shafts 66, 67 mounted respectively ou opposite ends of the casing structure. Partial oscillation of the shafts 66, 67 reciprocate the pins 50, 51 into or out of engagement with the sign carrying frame. The lower end of the cam lever 55 is connected by means of a link 68 with an arm 69 secured on a shaft 76 which extends longitudinally of the box and in turn carries a second arm 71 connected by means of a link 72 with an arm 73 fast on the locking pin actuating shaft 67. Outward and inward movement of the cam lever 55 is thus transmitted to oscillatory movement of the locking pin actuating shaft 67 which throws the locking pins 51 into or out of engagement with the perforation 52 on the frame head. This same movement is transmitted to the opposite set of locking pins 50 through the medium of the longitudinally extending shaft which at its opposite end is connected through the medium of the link 74 and arms 75, 76. By this interconnection the opposite. pairs of locking pins 50, 51 are simultaneously moved toward each other to lock the frame or outwardly away from each other to unlock the frame.

The illumination ofthe sign is secured through themedium. ofa plurality of electric lamps 80, mounted in sockets 81 carried on a board 82: clamped by: means. of

the brackets 83 to the stationary shaft 26. A reflector 84: is positioned back of the lamps so as to concentrate the light upon the rear face of the card being displayed and thus make it readily visible through the window 25. The motor 42 receives its power over the wires 85 connected with the mains 86 through a control switch 87. The wires 88, 89 extend into the hollow shaft 26 and are connected to the lamps 80. The wire 89 is connected with one of the mains 86 and the other wire 88 is connected with one terminal 91 of an automatic switch. The automatic switch comprises the two spring fingers 90, 91, the upper of which is engaged by an insulated arm 92 carried by the lever 7 6 which is reciprocated whenever the looking pins 50 are actuated by the cam. The upward movement of the contact 90 caused by the disengagement of the pins 50 breaks the circuit to the lamps extinguishing them during the movement of the sign carrying frame from one position to another. As soon as the pins 50 are moved inwardly into engagement with the sign the insulated arm 92 is brought downwardly closing the spring contact in the automatic switch and again lighting the lamps. A manually controlled switch 93 is positioned in the lighting circuit so that the lamps may be extinguished without afiecting the circuit of the motor, as for example when the sign is operated in the day time.

Near each end of the sign clamping angles 37 are provided radially extending rods 98 carrying at their inner ends slotted heads 99 which. engages with pins 100 carried on the ends of the short levers 101 secured on the rods 102 which extend from end to end of the sign frame and are suitably journaled in the blocks 103. At one end of the frame the rods 102 carry the levers 103 which extend radially inwardly into engagement with the slotted forks 104. The inner ends of the slotted forks 104 are secured, on the inner ends of the pins 105 which extend through the head 31 and carry the thumb nuts 106 positioned on the outer ends of the heads and to which they are pinned. A spring metal strip 107 riveted to the head, as at 108, overlies the pivoted fork 10% to hold the same in adjusted position and serve as a guide therefor. To take out or replace one of the sign cards the operator turns the two thumb nuts 106 adleaf springs 107 serving tohold the clamping angles in adjusted position.

Whereas I have illustrated and described a single embodiment of my invention it will be understood that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit thereof within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A changeable display device comprising a constantly rotating driver, a rotatable display carrying frame; lamps for illuminating said display; means for connecting the driver to the frame during a part of each revolution of the driver; means to lock the frame after being moved; a switch controlling said lamps and controlled by said locking means.

2. A display device comprising a fixed shaft, a card displaying frame 5'rotatable thereon, a constantly rotating driver rotatably mounted on the shaft adjacent one end of the frame, a clutch carried by the driver for engagement with the frame, a stationary cam for coiiperation with the clutch to control the engagement and dis engagement of said clutch with the frame, means for locking the frame against rotation, a cam on the driver, means engaging the driver carried cam for controlling the locking means, an electric lighting circuit, and means controlled by the locking means for breaking the circuit when the locking means is released.

3. A display device comprising a rotatable display carrying member, means for automatically rotating said member from one display position to another, means for locking the member, an electric lighting circuit for the device, a switch in said circuit, and means connected with the locking device for actuating the switch.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

FRANK O. LADWIG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "commissioner of Patents Washington, I). 0. 

